Zephyrus' Odyssey
by Zephyrus Leonheart
Summary: A fiction that tells the past, present and future of the Seraphic Sorcerer. Featuring Zephyrus Leonheart, he struggles with the harsh conditions in his life, facing many twists of fate, and emerge as the saviour of Midgard...
1. Abducted

-PROLOGUE-

_The sun was slowly descending from sight. The Pronteran citizens started to return to their home while merchants slowly packing up their goods and call off for the day. _

The night was still young, too early for any Pronteran citizens to retire to their bed. Men were seen drinking beers, chatting and gambling happily in the local inn. It seems that the day would go off as usual, just perfectly normal.

However, something not normal was happening somewhere in the peaceful neighbourhood. Very abnormal.

In one of the many nicely-structured houses, a woman's cry could be heard. More than just normal cries, it sounded like it's a cry of pain. Sounds like she's in agony.

Inside the house, a woman is lying down on a bed, accompanied by a man, who seemed to be her husband. The woman had a waist-length hair, was fair-skinned, and she was beautiful, even though she was heavily sweating and screaming. And she had a large bump on her stomach.

Hold on. A large stomach? Oh, she's pregnant. Now that explains why she was crying like a mad person. She's in labour...

Moments later, most of their neighbours rushed over to see what happened. Luckily for the mother-to-be, most of the women in the neighbourhood are experienced mothers, thus she was able to receive proper steps in labour. Everything went fine until they noticed someone missing.

Someone **WAS** missing. Hold on, where's the doctor? He ain't here? No priest either? NUUUUUU! There's not enough time to invite one, she need to give birth now! NOW!

The neighbours started to get on work. The males went to take neccessary items such as towels, basin, etc for receiving birth, while the females stayed beside her and gave her the commands "ENDURE THE PAIN! PUSH!". Not to forget her husband, who's kneeling beside her, giving her strong moral supports.

After many hours, a baby's cry was heard, followed by screams of, "YES!", "A BABY!", "OMG!", "IT'S OUT!", etc. The mother had succesfully gave birth to a cute little chubby baby!

The umbilical cord was then cut. The baby was then cleaned from fluid and blood, finally wrapped in a clean, white towel. The mother then carried it, smiling in satisfactory. The pain was unbearable, but it was worth.

An elderly man with white hairs and long beard made his way through, and smiled. "Congrats on your new addition to your family member. May I have a look at him?" he asked.

The mother then handed the baby over. The elderly man carried him, observed for a moment, and raised his eyebrow. "This might be him..." The elderly man then returned the baby to the impatient father.

"I've used my astrological knowledge as well as numerical prediction methods to predict your son's future. Would you like to hear it?" the elderly man asked.

The couple nodded, signalling positive response.

"He is born under the rare moon eclipse and in the rare phenomenone where all nine planets lined up in a straight row, which is due today. Calculated together with some numerical values, he had a bright future. He would, one day, be the saviour of the world. He is granted with the abilities to learn fast, and is a born leader. However..." The elderly man suddenly stopped explaining.

The couple's overjoyed face turned a bit worried when they heard the elder's voice to a stop. "Please continue, elder."

"Very well. However, he was very vulnerable to demonic possession and would require strong determination to keep them away. It may, cost his life..."

The couple started to exchange worried faces. "Is there a way to save him, elder?"

The elder took out his necklace and placed it over the child's neck. "The talisman would guide him to the lighter path, but it can't help much...Fine, enough of the bad news! Let's give this child a name, shall we?"

The couple nodded in agreement. "What name do you suggest, elder?"

"I suggest..." The elderly man then closed his eyes and flicked his fingers while muttering something in between his breath. "Zephyrus."

The couple nodded again, agreeing with the name.

"So be it..."

His name is...

Zephyrus Leonheart.

-PROLOGUE ENDS-

Time advanced really fast. With just a blink from the eye, 10 years had passed. Just as predicted since he was born, he did very well in his studies. He managed to score full marks in almost all subjects, earning him the top position in his school. He also possess a kind and friendly nature, making him the favourite student of most teachers. He seemed that he would continue living a simple life, but it was about to change.

The blonde-haired little boy played happily together with his new pet, a Lunatic. It was a birthday present this year from his parents as he reached the double-digit age for the first time this year. Zephyrus named his pet Krystal, as he was very obsessed with the beauty of those natural minerals and gemstones. (**Krystal**, not crystal.)

Zephyrus was joyfully playing with his little pet like the usual days. Without him realizing it, a pair of eyes were watching him from behind the bushes. Slowly creeping out, a rogue approached him quietly. As quickly as possible, the rogue grabbed Zephyrus and covered his mouth with a piece of cloth, limiting his scream to a squeak. The startled Lunatic ran away, hiding behind a wooden barrel.

He drew a dagger and threatened him. "Kid, if you wanna continue living you better shut the hell up!"

Zephyrus did as told, still panicking. Moments later, he started to feel sleepy. His body started to lose energy and his eyelids were heavy. Unable to control those feeling anymore, Zephyrus fell asleep. The rogue grinned. "Job done. The anaesthetics sure do come in handy." The rogue carried Zephyrus and ran away. A while later, Krystal came out from its hiding spot. Realizing that its master is in danger, the little rabbit decided to follow Zephyrus to wherever he's heading to.

Night time has fallen. The cloud seemed dark and thunders were heard, marking that a downpour would start soon. Inside an abandoned warehouse, three rogues were seen munching their dinner. Not too far away, a little boy was found gagged and tied up on a chair.

Zephyrus was actually kidnapped! He struggled to break free, but each effort he made only made the chair shake, thus granting him scoldings. "Stop shaking there and shut up! We are eating here kid!" A rogue then went over to Zephyrus along with a piece of meat on his hand. "Hey kid! You want to eat this piece of delicious meat?"

Zephyrus stared at the meat for a few seconds, and nodded. He had starved for almost a day long and he obviously needs some food.

"Oh, so you want this? Can..." The rogue opened Zephyrus' gag and lowered the meat slowly to his mouth. And then, instead of putting it in Zephyrus' mouth, he quickly move it away and placed it inside his own mouth instead. "...not. Muahahaha!" The rogue then placed back the gag and went away, laughing, leaving Zephyrus behind to cry silently.


	2. Bitter moments

_-Dream-_

"Mom! Dad!" A blonde-haired boy was seen running towards his parents.

"Oh, Zephyrus!" His father turned around and grabs his son, carrying him onto the air, laughing. Zephyrus' eyes were glistening with hope and he was also laughing joyfully.

His mother then came to Zephyrus, lightly kissing him on his forehead. "My beloved son."

"Yes, mother," came the reply.

Zephyrus' father then lowered him down. His father then brushed Zephyrus' stray hair aside, with a kind and gentle smile that formed on his lips. "My only child."

The happy faces of his parents suddenly began to fade. "Mom, Dad?" Zephyrus proceeded to touch his mother, but his finger went through it, as if it was made of gas. His parents started to fade even more, followed by his surroundings.

"Mom! Dad! Don't leave me!" Tears was starting to form on Zephyrus' eyes. He lifted his hand to touch them again, and again his hand went right through them. By then, his parents had already completely faded out of sight. "Mom! Dad!" His surroundings began to fade, little by little, finally everything went pitch-black.

Little Zephyrus sat in the abyss and started to weep. "Mom...Dad...why...? I...I...don't want...to be a...alone..."

_-Dream ends-_

Inside the old warehouse...

"Mom...Dad..." Zephyrus continued to murmur in his sleep. Suddenly, he felt water being splashed on his face. He ignored it as first, until he felt a hard, stinging slap on his face.

"#&& you kid! You've been murmuring all night long! SHUT THE &#$&# HELL UP!" a rogue carrying a bucket of water shouted at him.

"B...but...I miss my mo..." Before Zephyrus could finish his sentence, the rogue gave another hard slap on his face. Tears immediately formed on Zephyrus' eyes.

"WHAT DID I JUST SAID YOU $$ RASCAL! I SAID SHUT THE DAMN $ HELL UP! AND GET YOUR DAMN FACE AWAY FROM ME!" The rogue then tossed his bucket away and walked back to his seat, obviously in rage.

"Rosh, calm down. Abusing him won't do us any good," his friend said to his friend.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT DOESN'T DO US ANY GOOD! AT LEAST HE CAN SHUT THE #$# HELL UP! I'M TIRED OF LOOKING AT HIS DAMN FACE! I MIGHT AS WELL JUST KILL HIM! AND..."

"...and if you do so, I'll make sure your body's placed next to him," his other rogue friend interrupted calmly. Zephyrus looked at him for a awhile, then blacked-out, unconscious, due to hunger. He haven't ate since yesterday.

"Flazer? Why are you saying so?" asked his companion.

"Luke, Rosh, have you two forgotten the purpose we kidnap him for?" Flazer replied calmly.

"Ask for money from his parents. Nothing special," Luke replied. Rosh was still in the raging mood, breathing heavily.

"At least you haven't. Aren't we gonna make a plan for it?" asked Flazer. His attention then moved to Rosh. "And I suggest you sit here and help too."

Rosh grinned but he still managed to calm himself down and went over to them. "What now?" he asked.

"How are we going to ask for the money?" Luke asked.

"Somebody have to send a letter though." Rosh suggested. "But how?"

"Who will go then?" Flazer asked. The room then went quiet for a few seconds. Flazer then noticed a Lunatic entering the warehouse. "A Lunatic? What's it doing here?"

"Ahh, let me deal wit.." Rosh stood up but was stopped by Flazer.

"Hold on, look." Flazer pointed at the Lunatic. The Lunatic saw the unconscious Zephyrus and went straight to him, jumping on his lap, hoping to wake him up.

"And you mean..." Luke came to a stop. He got the idea.

"Yes. The Lunatic should be his pet, it has a silk ribbon on it. And of course, we could use it..." Flazer said. The three then grinned and proceeded with their another evil plan.

Later on, in Zephyrus' house...

"Where have he been?"Zephyrus' mother asked while walking back and forth. "He should have told me if he's going far..."

"I've contacted the Prontera Chivalry about the problem. The knights should be looking for him now." Zephyrus' father tried calming his wife, though he felt unsure himself.

A lunatic then ran inside the house, carrying a letter in its mouth. "Krystal? Aren't Zephyrus with you? Where's he? Wha..." Questions continued to come from his mouth when he noticed the letter it brought. "What's this?" He opened the letter. It wrote:

_This letter is sent regarding your son. He's now safe in my hands, don't worry. _

If you want back your son, meet me at the inn's back alley lane tonight at 12pm. Bring along 10 million zeny to reclaim your son. No less.

And remember not to call the knights for help. I'll instantly kill your son if you do.

Your son's fate depends on you. Farewell.

He dropped the letter as soon as he finished reading it. The content of the letter really shocked him. His confused wife picked up the letter and read it, and her reaction was the same. "10 million zeny?" his mother covered her face in her hands, obviously panicking. "Where are we going to get that much sum of money...?"

Zephyrus' father sat down, trying to calm down. "Damn it! He's kidnapped! Where am I going to find that much money...?" Being an ordinary mercenary in Prontera was not the easy way to earn money. He suddenly thought of an idea. "I can lend from Dervix, my blacksmith pal. Thank God..."

"And you have to go tonight?" Zephyrus' mother asked in curiosity.

"Unfortunately, yes..." came the reply.

"I'll follow," his mother said.

"But..."

"No buts. Your son is my son. I'll follow." his mother insisted.

The father thought for a awhile, and finally nodded. "Fine..."

That night, at the inn' back alley lane...

Zephyrus' father went with his wife to the inn's back alley lane, along with the 10 million zeny as demanded. Just as they was walking along the lane, two figure appeared in front of them. "Where's the money I wanted?" one of the figure asked.

"H...here," Zephyrus' father replied a bit shakingly as he showed the money bag to him. "W...where's my son?"

One of the figures checked the bag and confirmed that it's genuine money. "Your son's...here," the figure said as he holds out a gagged little boy.

"Zephyrus!" His mother proceeded to hug him with teary eyes. Zephyrus too, stared at his mother with tears in his eyes. His father watched from behind, and was glad it was over.

It wasn't over.

The figure in front of them grinned, and flicked his finger. Zephyrus' father wondered what he was doing, until he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his back. Rosh appeared from his back and backstabbed Zephyrus' father. The dagger pierced his heart, killing him instantly.

"NO! DAD!" Zephyrus shouted as he watched his father's lifeless body fell to the ground. "No..." Tears started lining down Zephyrus' cheek, a mix of hate and sadness blending inside him.

Zephyrus' mother cried too. She couldn't stand it any longer and took the dagger that killed her husband. She stared at it for a while and said "Zephyrus, take care..." She then stabbed herself on the stomach, and she too, fell to the ground, dead.

Zephyrus stared at the two dead bodies, crawled over to them and cried. "No...Dad...Mom...Nooo...why...why...?"

Rosh appeared behind Flazer and said, "Wow, I killed two birds with one stone."

"Make that three." Luke said as he drew his dagger and went over to Zephyrus. "This is to prevent others from knowing what happened. So long, little child," he said as he raised his dagger, ready to strike.

Zephyrus stood up, face down, as if preparing himself to be killed.

Luke made his slash, but he was stopped by an unknown force. "Huh? Why can I...Argh!" An invisible force then hit his stomach, stunning him a little. "What the...?"

Zephyrus lifted his face, his teeth grinning in rage. The air around him started to swirl and an aura formed around him.

"What the hell...?" Rosh started to back-off.

"AAAAAARGH!" Zephyrus suddenly screamed. Medium-sized bolts of fire started to rain from the sky, the rogues as the target. Most of the bolts missed them, but some hit and charred them slightly.

"What the..magician spells..OW! We'd better run!" Luke tried to run as he was almost hit by the bolt. The three then ran away, leaving the money bag and Zephyrus behind.

The aura started to reduce and the air around started to get calmer. The aura then completely dissappeared. Zephyrus stood still for a while, then fell unconscious.

Not too long later, a girl with light red priestess uniform appeared. She scanned the area for a while, and said, "What a mess..." She saw the dead bodies, and prayed that the souls would rest in peace. She also saw Zephyrus being unconscious on the other side. "Poor little thing..." She then went to him and carried him away.


	3. Ari neechan

Little Zephyrus opened his eyes and rose from his bed. He outstretched his arm and yawned. It's been quite a while since he had a good night's sleep. He opened the window next to him and felt the warm rays of the sun.

However, Zephyrus did realize that something is different. He realizes that he isn't sleeping on his own comfy bed. He realizes that the window isn't actually located next to his bed. And he realizes one more thing. He is not in his own house.

Zephyrus observed the strange room. The walls of the room were white in color, while his room had beige colored walls. The room was big, unlike his room, which is much smaller. And he could somehow feel calmness in the room.

"Oh, you're awake already," said a young lady standing by the door. She was wearing a light red priestess suit, had shoulder-length hair and was in her early thirty's. She brought in a tray containing some toasted breads and butter. "Good morning, little child," she greeted Zephyrus with a kind and warm smile.

Zephyrus panicked and staggered backwards, as he was still afraid of strangers, as in what happened to him previously. His mind started to get confused when he remembered the previous incident. His mind wandered back to the time he was playing happily, when he was suddenly kidnapped, when he was abused and when…his parents died. He started to weep when he thought of what happened to his parents.

"Oh my, what's wrong my child?" The lady set her tray aside and sat beside him to comfort him. With a concerning voice, she asked, "What's wrong dear?" She lifted Zephyrus' face up and stared at his teary eyes. "Now now dear, problems won't be solved if you continued crying. Tell me what happened."

Somehow, Zephyrus could feel her warm and kind heart. Slowly, he accepted the lady's treatment and rested his head on her shoulder. "It's…It's my…parents…sob…mom…dad…they were…sob..killed…by…" Zephyrus couldn't continue his sentence as he was overwhelmed by depression and started to cry.

"Awww…poor thing…" The lady pat Zephyrus' back and whispered, "It's okay dear, I'll be your mother then."

Zephyrus stopped crying and stared at her. "Re…really?"

"Yes, dear," the lady looked at him and smiled.

Zephyrus stared at her in awe. "Mom!" The pair then hugged and laughed, and Zephyrus was cheered up a little.

A small girl with long, almost waist-length hair then entered the room. She stared wide-eyed at Zephyrus and asked the lady, "Mom? Who's that…?"

"Ah, Arigatou, come over here, will you?" The lady reckoned the little girl to come over. She came over shyly. Zephyrus too, looked at her shyly. "Dear, what's your name?" she asked Zephyrus.

"I'm…Zephyrus…Zephyrus Leonheart…" he said shyly.

"Aww, how cute," the lady teased a little. "This is Arigatou Aishite. She used to be an orphan, until I went and adopted her. Now she calls me 'mom' too," the lady said and laughed.

"Hi…you can call me Ari…" she said shyly. The two little ones continued looking at each other shyly. The lady smiled and said, "Well, dear, you still don't know my name yet, do you?"

Zephyrus shook his head.

"Well…" The lady then stood up, lifted her dress a little and bowed. "I'm Yunaliska Hattori, one of the High Priestess' that served under the Royal Prontera Sanctuary. The local folks usually call me Mother Yuna," she said as she introduced herself.

"Mo…Mother Yuna?" Zephyrus asked.

"Nope. You call me 'Mom' instead," Yuna giggled. She then looked at Arigatou and said, "And you call her nee-chan." She giggled again.

Arigatou looked at her mother and puffed her cheek. "Mom! No! Don't call me nee-chan! No no no!" she said as she stomped the floor.

Zephyrus looked at her and giggled. "Ari nee-chan" he teased.

"Hmph!" Arigatou puffed her little cheek again and left the room.

Yuna laughed by just looking at her cute and childish action. "She's cute isn't she?"

Zephyrus nodded. "_Yeah…So this is how it feels like to have a sister…_" he thought to himself.

Yuna noticed him thinking to himself. "Anything wrong, dear?"

"No…it's nothing…" Zephyrus said. He tried not to recall his bitter past again. He knew that his parents wanted him to live. He needs to continue living, and to start a new life and…to avenge his beloved parents.

"Aww, I think you just made your sister angry. Why don't you go and talk to her?" Yuna suggested. "After you finish the breakfast I brought for you."

"Okay, Mom," Zephyrus nodded and started nibbling on his toasted bread.

"Be good dear, Mom needs to go somewhere. Remember to talk to Arigatou, okay?" Yuna said as she prepared to leave.

"Okay, mom," Zephyrus then continued munching his toasted bread.

"That's good dear," she patted his head and left. She then came to a stop when she remembered something. "Ah, Zephyrus, there's another two girls in Ari's room. They're twins. You should ask Ari to introduce them to you. Okay, see you soon dear," Yuna then left the room.

"Offkayff momff," Zephyrus said with lots of bread crumbs stuck in his mouth.

Zephyrus had just finished his meal. He then stood up and went outside the door, looking for Arigatou's room. Her room was just opposite to his'. He opened his door slightly and saw Arigatou lying on her bed while reading a book. He tip-toed quietly inside the room and went next to Arigatou. "Ari nee-chan!" he suddenly cried out.

"Ahh!" Arigatou throws her book away suddenly as she got teased by Zephyrus. "Zephyrus! You'll wake them both up!" she scolded him as she pointed at the two sleeping identical sisters.

"Sorry…" Zephyrus lowered his head and apologized. "Oh, who is this two?"

"This is Reiko Hattori," she said as she pointed at the little girl, sleeping soundly. "And this is Mei Hattori," she then pointed at the little girl beside the other. She had similar physical appearance with her twin. The pair shared the same length of hair, same look, same clothes, same height and were also sharing the same bed. "They both look alike don't they? They're identical twins you know?"

"Ooo," Zephyrus looked at the two and nodded. "Erm, Ari nee-chan, sorry about earlier…" he apologized.

"Nah," Arigatou shook her head. "It's okay, I'm not angry over you anymore, Zephy-kun," she giggled as she teased him. Zephyrus puffed his cheek when he heard Arigatou teasing him. "Eeeee, kawaii ne!" she said as she pinched Zephyrus' cheek.

"Ari nee-chan! Stop it…" Zephyrus pleaded her to stop.

"Okay, Zephy-kun!" Arigatou teased again and both of them giggled. The room was quiet for a moment, until Zephyrus let out a long sigh. "Zephy-kun, what's wrong?"

"Ari nee-chan…" Zephyrus then laid his body next to her. "Actually…I never had an older sister before you know?"

"I see…Are you the only son?" she asked. Zephyrus nodded over her question. "Where are your parents?"

The question startled him for a while. Arigatou looked at him confusingly. He then placed his head on her shoulder and whispered, "Actually…my parents had passed away…I'm now…alone…" Zephyrus started to weep.

"Aww…poor Zephy-kun…" She patted his head and and said softly, "Its okay, me and Mom's here to accompany you. Besides, I know that feeling too. I used to be an orphan. I understand how it feels to lose both your parents." She hugged Zephyrus in a sisterly way. "Zephy-kun, cheer up okay?"

"Okay…" Zephyrus nodded and smiled. "Thank you Ari nee-chan…"

"Aww…those two sure do look cute together…" Yuna said to herself. She then closed the door quietly and went back to resume her work.

To be continued


	4. Mind if I call you Reish?

The sun is starting to descend into the mountains as night slowly approaches. Merchants and mercenaries started packing their goods and to call off for the day, counting their profits as well. The Pronteran Church rang its bells, signaling the approach of night.

The blonde-haired boy laid on the bed, constantly smiling and giggling in his sleep. He rolled over and over, over and over, over and…thud! He fell flat, face first on the floor.

"Oww….ouchi…" Zephyrus holds his nose and winched in pain, finally awoken out of his dreamland. He stood up and sat back on his bed, gently massaging his nose. "It hurts…" He murmured to himself.

"Ari nee-chan?" He looked around for his sister and found the two identical twins instead, sleeping soundly on a cradle not too far away from where he slept. "Maybe she went away for a while…" Zephyrus stood up and walked slowly to the washroom, rubbing his little eyes on the way.

He pushed the door a little, revealing a girl about his size, dressing up and was half-naked. Zephyrus stared wide-eyed at the girl for a while and turned away, embarrassed. Before he could even step out of the room, an ear-splitting scream was heard.

"Eeeeeeeeeeeeek! What are you- Get out get out GET OUT!"

Zephyrus recognized the voice and turned to the girl again. "Ari nee-chan?"

Ooops, wrong move.

"Zephy-kun! Don't look! GET OUT THIS INSTANT!" Arigatou screamed while trying to cover herself.

"But nee-cha…Ouch!" His words stopped immediately when a shampoo bottle flew straight into his face, knocking him down and made him to see stars. Yunaliska rushed inside the room and saw Zephyrus lying on the floor, clutching his nose, followed by the sound of the door being slammed.

Yunaliska sweat dropped. "Now now, what happened h…"

"MOM! ZEPHY-KUN LOOKED AT ME WHEN I'M CHANGING!" Arigatou's voice boomed from inside the washroom.

Yunaliska crossed her arms and looked at Zephyrus angrily. "You did!"

"No…oww…." Zephyrus tried defending himself. "It's a misunder…."

"YOU PEEK AT ME!"

Yunaliska sighed. "Anyway, dinner would be ready soon. Come with your sister okay? And apologize."

"Okay…" Zephyrus replied. Yunaliska stroked his forehead and left the room. Zephyrus massaged his nose again. "Nee-chan, dinner wou-"

"YOU PEEK AT ME!"

Zephyrus sweat dropped.

Arigatou walked along the hallway of the church, heading towards the church canteen. Zephyrus followed behind, still feeling guilty of what happened earlier. Arigatou, noticing this, stopped and faced Zephyrus. He quickly kneeled down and crossed his hands, holding both his ears. "Nee-chan, sorry bout earlier…"

"Shssh," she bent down and said to him, "You'd better not remind me of that."

"Nah, I won't," Zephyrus stared at her. "Still angry, nee-chan?" Zephyrus asked playfully.

"You lil Zephy-kun!" She pinched his little cheeks, causing him to stand up in a start. "What did I just tell you?"

"Okay okay nee-chan! Stop!" He pleaded her to stop pinching him.

"Hmph!" She jerked her tongue at Zephyrus, and received one from him, too. "Okay, let's have our dinner then. I'll introduce you to some friends there." Arigatou held his hand and continued walking along the hallway.

"Okay…" Zephyrus mumbled and followed his sister, with one hand on her hand and with the other caressing his cheeks.

Arigatou and Zephyrus finally reached the church canteen. The chatters in the canteen immediately turned into silence, then to whispers when they saw Zephyrus. Zephyrus had a weird feeling, mainly because dozens of pairs of eyes were staring at the new boy.

"Ahh, Ari-kun, Zephy-kun, you're here," Yunaliska greeted the two children. Arigatou released Zephyrus' hand and ran straight towards her mother, hugging her. Yunaliska smiled and brushed her stray hair aside. "Been missing mummy huh? Have you forgiven Zephy-kun yet?"

Arigatou nodded. "Yup. Hello Sister Charlene, Sister Serena," Arigatou greeted the two ladies dressed in a purple priestess uniform, standing behind Yunaliska.

"Ahh, Zephy-kun, come over here will you?" Yunaliska called him over. Zephyrus walked up to her shyly. Yunaliska placed both her hands on his shoulder and introduced him, "This is my new child, Zephyrus. Zephy-kun, meet Sister Charlene and Sister Serena."

The two lifted their dress a little and bowed, "Welcome to the Sanctuary, little one." Zephyrus returned the bow timidly.

"Well, shall we have our dinner now?" Yunaliska suggested.

"Sure, I guess they were starving by now," Sister Serena joked, followed by giggles from Sister Charlene.

Yunaliska clapped her hands, earning the attentions of the people there. "The foods are ready at your respective tables. We will have our dinner now, but please hold your hands together for we will now pray to God."

Everybody in the canteen held their hands, lowered their heads and remained silent, waiting for Mother Yunaliska to recite the prayers. "Ari, get Zephy-kun to your table please," Yunaliska whispered.

Arigatou nodded and dragged Zephyrus to a table nearby, forcing him to sit down on the bench. Zephyrus responded by puffing his cheek and an 'hmph!' He turned to his side and saw three girls; one with a short, blonde hair, one with long, blue hair and another with a shorter (than the previous girl), blue hair. A black-haired boy sat opposite the blonde-haired girl, eyeing on Zephyrus curiously.

There was this girl Zephyrus couldn't take his eye off, the girl with long, blue hair. She too, stared wide-eyed at Zephyrus. The two stared at each other for a few seconds longer before Arigatou nudged Zephyrus, signaling him to clasp his hands for prayers. The blue-haired girl broke off the stare and clasped her hands back, blushing as she did. Zephyrus' reaction was almost the same, except that he didn't know how to clasp his hand properly.

"Dear Odin, the holy God we all worship, for now, forever," Mother Yunaliska started reciting the prayers. Silence filled the whole of the sanctuary, all praying to their God. "We're all here safe and sound, with dinner's ready. Before we start this meal, I wanted to say thank you for allowing us to enjoy our dinner without much difficulties. May we be blessed again tomorrow. Amen." Yunaliska ended the prayers by placing her hands on her chest, with the rest doing the same. "Now, let us have our dinner," Yunaliska said.

Everybody rose from their idle positions and started to eat. All, except the four unknown members from Zephyrus' table, eyeing on him curiously. "Let me do the introductions!" Arigatou said.

"This is Zephyrus, my lil bro!" Arigatou said, patting Zephyrus' back.

"Hello everybody…" Zephyrus greeted shyly.

"Lil bro…?" the black-haired boy asked.

"Uh huh. That's Derg,same age with ya, Zephy-kun," Arigatou said, pointing at the black-haired boy. "That's Xiao Yu, a year older than ya," Arigatou said, pointing her finger at the blonde-haired girl.

"Hie!" Xiao greeted Zephyrus with a cheery face.

"That's Reina Valentine, much younger than ya," Arigatou pointed at the short, blue-haired girl. "And that's her sister, Reishoa Valentine, a year younger than you, Zephy," Arigatou pointed her finger at Reishoa.

"Hello…" Reina waved a little. Reishoa just sat there, apparently blushing.

"Hello, mind if I call you…Reish?" Zephyrus asked.

"Erm, uh…" Reishoa's cheek turned deep red, showing an obvious sign that's she's blushing. She did manage to pull out a response, "…sure…"

Arigatou giggled watching the two. "Well, shall we have our dinner?"

"But nee-chan…" Zephyrus hesitated.

"Yes?"

"Where's my part…?"

"Oh silly me, you can share mine then," Arigatou offered.

"Excuse me; may I have your attention please?" Yunaliska said. All the six members on the table turned silent. "Tomorrow, you all will be acolytes."

"Really?" Derg asked curiously. All members from Zephyrus' table stared wide-eyed at Yunaliska.

"Yes, you will. I will give you all the tasks and instructions tomorrow. Meet me in Arigatou's room tomorrow morning. Enjoy your dinner, little ones," Yunaliska said and left.

"Yay! I'm gonna be an acolyte I'm gonna be an acolyte" Derg sang and danced about. Reina and Reishoa giggled upon Derg's actions. Zephyrus, however, doesn't seem very happy.

"Zephy-kun, cheer up!" Arigatou said, patting his back. "It's going to be a big day for us tomorrow!"

Zephyrus forced a weak smile, just to make her happy. Somehow…talking about being an acolyte bothered him, or otherwise…?


	5. Where can I find the ascetics?

"Wakey wakey, Zephy-kun!"

"Mmmhh…" Zephyrus stirred a little. "Let me sleep…" He took his blanket and covered himself in it.

"The sun is high, the sky is bright! Rise and shine you lazy bum!" Arigatou cried out loud. She jumped onto the bed and tried pulling the blanket away, but Zephyrus held it tight. "Wake up!"

Zephyrus ignored her calls, hoping that she would give up and leave him alone. A few seconds have passed, still no signs of Arigatou waking him up. Zephyrus grinned, thinking that his little trick had worked. "Now I can sle-GYAAAHHH!"

Arigatou held his feet and started tickling it. "Wakey up wakey up!"

Zephyrus thrashed about, yelling for his sister to stop the torture. "ARI NEE-CHAN! STOP! ONEGAI!"

"Are you awake yet?" Arigatou asked, still continuing the torture.

"YES I AM! STOPPPPPPP!" Zephyrus pleaded her.

"Hmph!" She stopped tickling him. "Go brush your teeth and wash your face! Mom would be here soon!" Arigatou said demandingly.

"What for…"

"Go now!"

"Uhh…." Zephyrus walked slowly towards the bathroom, rubbing his little eyes on the way.

Zephyrus turned the knob on, allowing the icy-cold water to flow out of the water tap and fill in the basin. While waiting for the basin to be filled, he wiped off the vapor formed on the mirror's surface, revealing his reflected image. He stared at his refection and thought for a while, "Me…being an acolyte…?"

Noticing that the basin was about to be full, he turned off the knob. Zephyrus took a long, deep breath and sunk his face inside the icy-cold water for a few seconds before taking it out again. He took a handful of water and splashed it onto his face for a few times, washing off dirt and other dirty substances on it. The icy water sure helped a lot in refreshing Zephyrus.

Just as Zephyrus stepped out of the washroom, Arigatou approaches and hands in a whole lot of clothes for him to carry.

"Packie packie! Mom should be here soon! Better get packed before she arrives!" her excited sister said and left to pack her own clothes.

Zephyrus stared at her and thought, "_Geez, we are just going to take some test to be an acolyte. We aren't going for a vacation_…"

A knock came from the door. "Ari-kun, Zephy-kun, may I come in?" Yunaliska asked, followed by another knock at the door.

"Yes, mommy!" Arigatou said as she ran to the door and opened it to their mother. "Good morning mom!" Arigatou smiled and hugged the high priestess tightly.

"Good morning Ari-kun," Yunaliska said as she strokes the little girl's forehead. "Had a good night's sleep?"

"I'm too excited that I can't sleep! I'm awakie all night!" Arigatou said excitedly.

Yunaliska giggled and looked at Zephyrus. "Good morning honey." She went over to Zephyrus and sat beside him.

"Good morning mom," Zephyrus said.

Yunaliska hugged him and asked "Slept well last night, Zephy-kun?"

"Not really…Ari nee-chan made too much noise last night," Zephyrus said.

Arigatou stared at him and pouted. "Hey!"

"Nee-chan's very noisy last night" Zephyrus teased.

She stared at him and jerked her tongue at him.

"Mommy, Ari nee-chan's denying it…"

"Are not!"

"You are!"

"Are not!"

"You are!"

"Oh, quit it both of you!" Yunaliska said as she placed her finger on their mouth, silencing them. "You two are just so cute!"

Zephyrus and Arigatou turned away, crossed their arms and pulled out an 'hmph!' almost in unison. Yunaliska couldn't help but to chuckle by just looking at the pair.

"Hiya!" Derg appeared on the doorstep. He was just about to enter when Yunaliska halted him.

"Derg, what did I taught you about manners?" she asked.

"Erm…oh!" Derg took a few steps backwards. He knocked the door twice and said, "Good morning, may I come in?"

"Better now. You may."

Derg entered and saw the two siblings ignoring each another. He scratched his head, thinking if this led to the noise he heard earlier.

"Good morning." Another three girls appeared on the doorstep. "Can we come in?"

"Sure, come in," said Yuna.

Xiao, Reina and Reishoa entered the room and bowed, "Good morning, Mother Yuna."

"Good morning girls," Yuna greeted. "See Derg, the girls are very much well mannered compared to you."

Derg pretended that he didn't listen.

"Hie there, Ari, Zephy. Slept well last night?" Xiao asked.

"Too excited! Can't sleep!" Arigatou said excitedly.

"Nee-chan made too much noise. I can't slee-EEK!" Before Zephyrus could end his sentence, Arigatou gave him a cold stare and chased after him.

Xiao, Derg, Reishoa and Reina turned their heads left-to-right repeatedly, watching the two siblings running in circles around their mother. Xiao and Derg laughed hysterically watching those two. Arigatou finally caught hold of her brother, and punished him- by pinching his cheeks!

"AW-CH!" Zephyrus cried out. "STOP IT NEE-CHAN!"

"That's for teasing me!" Arigatou released her brother, satisfied that she finally got him.

"Ow…" Zephyrus' eyes were now teary, bearing from the pain.

Arigatou kneeled down, caressing his cheeks. "Just when are you gonna stop teasing, huh?"

"Not if I could help it..." Zephyrus said, holding back his tears. "It hurts nee-chan…"

"Aww…" Arigatou stroked his forehead and apologized, "I didn't mean it that way. Sorry lil bro."

"Ish okie…ow…" Zephyrus stared at her and pouted.

"Sis, are they friends or foes?" Reina whispered to her sister.

"Siblings, Reina," Reishoa couldn't help but to giggle.

"Well…we are wasting quite some time already…" Yunaliska interrupted the scene. "Aren't I supposed to give you the tasks?"

"Yep yep!" Arigatou said.

The six children gathered around her, eager to listen.

"Now, listen. Derg, you've been assigned to meet Priest Rubalkabara. Xiao, Reina and Reishoa, you three have been assigned to meet Father Yosuke. Ari-kun, Zephy-kun, both of you are to meet with Mother Mathilda," she said as she handed them letters for the job change. "Show them the letter, and they will confirm that you've met them, which qualifies you to be an Acolyte."

"What! I'm alone?" Derg complained.

"Yes." Yunaliska said.

"Mother Yuna, where can I find the ascetics?" Reishoa asked.

"It's clearly written on the back of the letter. Make sure you don't lose it," Yunaliska said as she stood up. "I'll be waiting for all of you in the Sanctuary gates."

"Okay," Zephyrus said.

"Make it quick," Yunaliska said and left.

"Hmm, why don't we check out the location of the ascetics now? Mother Yuna said that it is written on the back of the letter," Derg suggested.

"Erm, okay," Reishoa nodded.

Everybody observed the wordings at the back of the letter which tells the location of the respective ascetics. Not long after that, everybody cried out in unison:

"WHY ARE THEY SO FAR AWAY?"


End file.
